Oil-well cleaner.



No. 719,004. PATENTED JAN. 27, 1903. R. J. HOFFMAN. OIL WELL CLEANER.

APPLIGATION FILED OUT. 25, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

Uitlllhfl dramas Arnnr FFICE.

ROY J. HOFFMAN, OF RENO, OHIO.

OIL WELL CLEANER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 719,004, dated January27, 1903. Application filed October 25, 1902. Serial No. 128,738. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROY J. HOFFMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Reno, in the county of Washington and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil-W'ell Cleaners; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for cleaningoil-wells, and particularly for removing paraffin and similar depositsfrom the walls of the same. These deposits resnlt in a filling up of thecrevices of the oil-producing strata, and unless removed will materiallydecrease the production of the well.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple ande'l'iicientapparatus to remove such deposits.

My invention comprises, substantially, a sand pump or bailer of suchconstruction as to permit of it being used also to spray benzene orother cleaning fluids against the walls of the well for removing theparaffin deposits from the same.

A further object is to provide means for cutting up or disintegratingsand and other sediment to facilitate its removal from the well.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of myapparatus. Fig. 2 is a like View taken at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a central vertical section. Fig. at is a side elevation of thesand-cutting device secured to my apparatus. Fig. 5 is a top plan of thecutting device.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 71ndicates a tube the lower endof which is threaded, as at 7, to receive a collar 7 into which isscrewed the working barrel 8 of a pump, of which the standing valve isindicated at 8 and the working valve at 8". Subs 9 are secured to thebottom of the working barrel in the usual manner. By increasing ordecreasing their number the location of the pump within the well may bechanged-that is, it may be raised or lowered in order that all portionsof the well may be operated on. The working barrel is made removable inorder that the contents of the tube when filled may be readily let out.These parts are all well known and of the usual or improvedconstruction, and a further description of the same is thought to beunnecessary.

To the upper end of the tube 7 is secured a collar 10, and screwed intothis collar is a short section of tubing 11, which is provided withperforations 11 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. tube 11another collar 11 is screwed, and to this collar a short section oftubing 12 is screwed, which is provided with two diametrically oppositeoverflow-openings 12. A cap 13 fits over the tube 12 and rests on thecollar 11. It has a stufling-box 13 and a bail 13 through which thevalve-stem 14 passes. The cap also has openings 13 to reg ister with theopenings 12. By giving the cap a quarter-turn these openings may beclosed, as will be hereinafter explained. The valvestem has collars 14cand coil-springs 14 above and below the bail, by means of which thestrokes of the valve-stem are cushioned. To close the overflow-openings,the following means are employed: At diametrically opposite points onthe cap 13 I provide bayonetslots 15, through which pins 16 extend, saidpins being secured to the tube 12. These pins prevent separation of thetube and cap, and they are of sufficient strength to sustain the weightof the apparatus. A vertical slot 17 also extends from the openings 13to the base of the cap. To the collar 11 are secured spring'latches 18at diametrically opposite points. These parts are so arranged that whenthe overflow is opened the latches engage the vertical portion 15 of thebayonet- On the upper end of the slots, by which the cap is lockedagainst turnthe imperforate portion closing the overflow and the pinsoccupying aposition just below the slots 17. The cap is now pushed downagainst the collar 11 the slots 17 passing the pins and the latchesengaging the slots, which looks the cap against turning. The overflow isopened in substantially the same manner as it is closed.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown an arrangement to be secured to the pumpfor the purpose of cutting or breaking up sand, rock, or otheraccumulations which are to be removed from the well. It comprises ashank 19, having a reduced portion l9 at one end, which is threaded toscrew into the bottom of the pump, as shown in Fig. 4:. At the bottom ofthe shank knives 20 are secured, there being four arranged at rightangles to each other, as shown, and provided with a cutting edge 20 atthe bottom. These knives are arrowshaped, the barbs 20) forming a ledge20, on which the sand and other material rests when the knives areforced into the same and by which it is lifted up and caused to bethoroughly mixed with the oil. This facilitates its removal by the pump.The barbs also loosen the material when the knives are raised. Braces 20are provided, securing the knives and also protecting them from catchingin any obstruction. In using this cutting device the pump issuccessively raised and dropped,

the weight of the same forcing the knives into' the material, cuttingand loosening the same,

' as above described.

The operation of my apparatus is as follows: I pour the benzene or othercleaning fluid into the well from the surface and lower the pump, theoverflow openings being closed. The valve-stem is then reciprocated, andat each upward stroke the'cleaning fluid enters at the bottom and issprayed out through the perforations 11. After one part of the well hasbeen cleaned I remove one or more subs and repeat the sprayingoperation. By removing more subs and continuing the spraying I am ableto clean all parts of the well. After all the subs are removed and thepump reaches the bottom of the well I am ready to remove the sand, whichis done as follows: I open the overflow-openings 12 and attach thecutting device. Then by successively raising and dropping the pump, asheretofore described,

I thoroughly disintegrate the sand and other sediment, and when the pumpis filled with the same I raise it and remove its contents by removingthe pump-barrel. The pump is then again lowered into the well and moresand removed until the well is thoroughly cleaned. The overflow beingopen the sand, 850., will discharge through it if the pump should fillbeforeit can be removed from th well.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. A well-cleaning device comprisinga tube having spraying and overflowopenings near the top thereof, a working pump at the bottom of the-tubedischarging thereinto, and means to open and close theoverflow-openings, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a tube having a suction-pump at the bottom Ithereof, and spraying-holes and overflow-openings near the top, of a caphaving means for opening and closing the overflow-openings,substantially as described.

3. Awell-cleaningdevice comprisingatube having a suction-pump at thebottom and spraying and overflow openings near the top, and a perforatedcap over the end of the tube adapted to be turned to open and close theoverflow-openings, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a tube having a suction pump at the bottomthereof and spraying and overflow openings near its top, of a cap overthe end of the tube having openings to register with theoverflow-openings, and adapted to be turned to close theoverflow-openings, substantially as described;

5. The combination with a pump, of a shank attached to the bottomthereof, and downwardly-presented knives secured to the shank havingledges formed thereon for lifting the material, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROY J. HOFFMAN.

Witnesses:

RUFUS KESTER, FRED L. MAURY.

